Toxic liquor claims 18 lives in southern-Pakistan
Pakistan Times Punjab Bureau Report

MULTAN: Eighteen persons reportedly died after consuming toxic liquor in Multan, its peripheral areas, Kot Addu and Jatoi tehsils of district Muzaffargarh during the last 24 hours, hospital sources said on Saturday.

Chief Medical Officer of Emergency Ward of Nishtar Hospital Multan said nine persons aged 25 to 35, all from the labour and working class died. Seven of them died while being provided medical treatment and two others lost lives before they could reach the hospital.

Dr. Imran said, the hospital started receiving toxic liquor- affected patients in frequent intervals after mid-night on Friday and were still being received. They fell unconscious about seven hours after taking the poisonous liquor.

A press release issued by the District Police Officer (DPO) Hamid Mukhtar Gondal confirmed deaths of nine persons. They included Muhammad Aftab, Arif, Javed Iqbal, Meraj Din, Farhat Hussain, Mukhtar Hussain, Nazar Hussain, Muhammad Siddique and Sheikh Tahir.

Sources said, three other persons including Sajjad Hussain and Yusaf both residents of Gharibabad colony died after being given treatment by some quack in the city. Another person, Muhammad Javed, a flower seller also died in Multan.

Meanwhile, another five persons died at Kot Addu tehsil of district Muzaffargarh. Dr. Bashir of Tehsil Hospital Kotaddu identified the dead as Karim Bakhsh, Zahoor, Gull Muhammad, Abbas and Sheikh Khalil. One Ghulam Ali also died of toxic liquor at tehsil Jatoi of district Muzaffargarh.

District Police Officer told newsmen that the bootlegger from whom the toxic liquor was purchased has been traced. At least 50 bottles of the toxic liquor and distillery apparatus have also been seized from the house of one Najja in Jalilabad in a police raid.●